The History of Julia
by TheSilverFox06
Summary: A thrilling multi-part story covering the adventures of Julia before and during the time period in which the series takes place. Chapter 2: Something Special. Now with more descriptions! And less sodium.
1. In the Beginning

Author's Forward  
  
Greetings! Welcome to my second Cowboy Bebop fanfic. This one is going to be quite a bit longer and more involved than my first one, so I'll actually be posting in installments. Let me give you a brief overview of what's happening in this fic:  
  
This fanfic is called "The History of Julia". It will be an account of the drama that takes place around Julia before the TV series starts, as well as what she is doing during the time period in which the series takes place.  
  
I have decided to do something a little different with this fic than what you see in most fics. I am going to write this story for all audiences, meaning I will introduce the characters anew so that seeing the show will not be a prerequisite for understanding this story.  
  
Well, that pretty much does it for the overview, happy reading!  
  
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Legal Disclaimer  
  
I did not create Cowboy Bebop. I also did not create the following characters: Spike, Mao, Shin, Lin, or Julia. All other characters mentioned in this chapter are of my creation. This story is also of my creation, so don't take it.  
  
+ + +  
  
"The History of Julia"  
  
Story by TheSilverFox06  
  
Proofread by Cyberwraith9 (all grammatical and spelling errors are his fault)  
  
Chapter 1: "In the Beginning"  
  
"Spike!"  
  
A tall, skinny, oriental man laid sleeping on the couch, as he often does. He opened his deep brown eyes just barely wide enough to see who had woken him from his slumber.  
  
"Spike, wake up!" the same voice commanded.  
  
Spike slowly sat up and fixed his forest green fro, which he somehow managed to make look stylish instead of stupid. After a yawn that should have dislocated his jaw, Spike turned to greet his waker.  
  
"Hey Mao, what's up?" he murmured.  
  
Standing before Spike was a portly man, also oriental, of average height and thinning hair. He wore an expensive suit, and a cheerful smile.  
  
"We just got some new members," began Mao as he pointed to two boys who looked like they were fresh out of high school. "This is Shin and Lin. They're identical twins."  
  
"Ya' don't say," Spike sarcastically said, as he stood up to crack his joints.  
  
Mao looked at him. "Now Spike, you know you're not supposed to be talking to me like that. I am your superior after all."  
  
Spike raised an eyebrow as he looked at Mao. They had been speaking to each other as if they were buddies for some time. Then Spike remembered the presence of the new members. "Right. Sorry, sir," said Spike with another hint of sarcasm in his tone.  
  
"Anyway," continued Mao, "I'm assigning Lin to train under you. Shin will be given to Carson. I want you to start right away."  
  
"Yes sir," replied Spike. He walked up to the boys and stopped in front of them. "Which one of you is Lin?"  
  
"Me, sir!" shouted the boy on his right.  
  
"Come on," said Spike, as he turned toward the door. Lin took one look back at Shin as he started to leave, then hurried to catch up to Spike.  
  
"Follow me," Mao said to Shin, and headed in the opposite direction.  
  
* * *  
  
Spike and Lin walked slowly down a long hallway with a row of lights along the ceiling.  
  
Lin looked up at Spike and asked, "What will we be doing first, sir?"  
  
"Personal combat training," replied Spike, without looking at Lin. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a cigarette and a lighter. "And don't call me sir. Call me Spike." He lit the cigarette.  
  
"Those are bad for you, you know."  
  
Spike stared at Lin. "This is nothing. What's bad for you is being here - being part of the Syndicate. You know what we do, right kid?"  
  
"Yeah, I know. Organized crime."  
  
"It's a filthy business. People get killed every day. It's even worse than the twentieth century mob you read about in history class. Do not take it lightly." Spike turned his head forward again.  
  
"Then, why are you here?"  
  
Spike didn't respond. He stopped in front of a door and slid a key card to open it. Behind the door was what looked like a gym, a weight room, exercise pads, and other various physical training equipment.  
  
Spike began to walk in with Lin close behind him. "Welcome to my dojo."  
  
* * *  
  
Later that night, Spike walked into his apartment and fell onto his bed. "Man," he said to himself, "That kid really wore me out today. He's got quite a bit of spunk in him." Despite being tired, Spike didn't feel like sleeping. Slowly, he got up and headed for a bar.  
  
Spike opened the door to his favorite watering hole, and quickly found all of the familiar faces. Lonnie, the bartender, had his hands full with drinks at the bar, while Rhonda, the waitress, was serving appetizers to a table. Spike was just about to sit down to order a cocktail and some hot wings when a disturbance broke out in the corner of the bar.  
  
A big, burly, tattoo-laden man loomed over a woman sitting on a bar stool.  
  
"Don't play dumb with me, I know what you were doing last night!" the man shouted.  
  
"I don't know what you're talking about, Dane," replied the woman, as she turned her head away. Even when she was yelling, the woman's voice had a deep, mature, almost enchanting tone.  
  
"Don't lie to me!" Dane said as he rose his hand. Just before his open palm was about to land on the woman's frightened face, Dane's head got blindsided by a fist connected to the lanky right arm of Spike.  
  
"You shouldn't treat a lady like that" Spike said to Dane in a suave, yet serious voice.  
  
Dane looked up to see Spike with his eyes narrowed, and no expression in his mouth. "Why don't you mind your own business!" yelled Dane. He got up and swung his massive fist at Spike. In a split second, Spike had sidestepped the attack and thrust a knee into the brute's solar plexus. Dane fell to the ground with a blank look on his face.  
  
After shaking his head in disbelief of the man's stupidity, Spike turned to the woman. She was a tall beauty, with a perfect figure and wavy blonde hair that reached the middle of her back. She was like a goddess. "You should probably get out of here before he wakes up."  
  
Almost surprised at being addressed by her savior, the woman stuttered out a response. "Y-Yeah. I guess I should really go home now, huh?"  
  
"Bad move" Spike said with narrow eyes. "He'll just come looking for you there."  
  
"R-Right... I know! I'll stay at my friend's house for a few days, then catch a ride to Ganymede. I've always wanted to live on Ganymede. I've heard the view of Jupiter is breathtaking," the woman said with a blush.  
  
"Ganymede, eh? Never been there. Anyway, let me walk you to your friend's house. It's getting late."  
  
"Okay, sure. My name's Julia, by the way."  
  
"Spike."  
  
"Spike - that's an interesting name. Nice to meet you... and thanks."  
  
* * *  
  
The next morning, Spike went through is regular walk to "work". After passing by the same old vendors for a mile or so, he arrived at the Red Dragon Clan's headquarters on Mars. He was greeted immediately by Mao and Lin when he entered.  
  
"You're late."  
  
"I had a late night," explained Spike, scratching his leg as he hung his head with sleepiness.  
  
"I have a hit for you. Someone in the lower ranks has been leaking information. He's an easy target, so I want you to bring Lin along with you for training purposes. Here's the guy's profile."  
  
Spike took the file of papers and began to review them. The first thing he saw was the name and picture. "Dane Krueger," he said aloud.  
  
"You know him?" Mao asked.  
  
Spike responded with only a chuckle, and started to walk toward the garage with Lin in tow.  
  
Mao turned around to face Spike. "Spike!" he called out. Spike stopped and looked at Mao. "Don't get the kid killed in his first job."  
  
Spike faced forward again and continued walking without giving any response, verbal or otherwise.  
  
* * *  
  
Spike drove a Syndicate-owned car out of the garage with Lin sitting in shotgun. The ride was smooth and quiet... too quiet. Spike looked over at Lin and saw that he was shaking from nervousness.  
  
"Relax. This guy's an easy training target; he's too low in the ranks for the Syndicate to even issue him a firearm."  
  
Lin looked at Spike and smiled.  
  
After fifteen minutes of driving, the two men arrived at Dane's apartment building. However, just as they pulled up to the curb, they saw a man get into his car and drive away.  
  
Lin looked at the man, then at the target's profile. "That's our man," he said to Spike.  
  
"I know," Spike replied. He pressed the accelerator and began to move forward again.  
  
They followed Dane's car for about five minutes until he arrived at another apartment building. They parked 4 car lengths behind him, then waited for him to enter the building. After taking a deep breath of preparation, Spike and Lin got out of the car and headed in.  
  
On the second floor of the building, Spike and Lin found a door kicked in and Dane inside, with a confused look on his face. "Where is she..." he muttered to himself.  
  
"Who are you looking for?"  
  
Dane whirled around to find Spike aiming a pistol at him. "You! You're that punk from the bar."  
  
"And you're the punk who's been leaking information" Spike said with a grin.  
  
Just then, Spike heard the sound of a boot hitting the hardwood floor in the hallway outside the apartment. He spun around and saw Julia standing in the doorway. Dane saw this as an opportunity and ran for the window. He dove through, and fled down the fire escape with cuts on his arms.  
  
"There goes our hit!" yelled Lin.  
  
Lin started to chase after Dane, but Spike put a hand on his shoulder and stopped him. "It's not worth it."  
  
Julia looked back and forth at the two men, then said in a soft voice, "Hit? You guys are from the Syndicate. Spike... I should have known. I should have known that you wouldn't be any different from all the other bad men I've met."  
  
"Julia..." Spike said in an apologetic voice.  
  
Lin looked at Spike with a serious and professional face, and said, "You know what you have to do, Spike."  
  
"I know!" Spike snapped at Lin. He slowly rose his gun, and aimed it at Julia's forehead. Julia didn't even move. She stood there with a sad look in her face. She wasn't scared. She wasn't nervous. Just sad. Almost as if to say, "I'm ready for my life to end."  
  
After a full ten seconds of silence, Spike lowered his gun, and addressed Julia. "I'm going to get in trouble for this. Come on."  
  
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Woohoo! A cliffhanger! What will happen to Spike and Lin? Will Julia accept help from Spike? Tune in to find out in the next chapter of "The History of Julia". 


	2. Something Special

Author's Forward  
  
Hello again! Welcome to "The History of Julia", chapter two. My name is TheSilverFox06, and I will be your writer today. Can I start you off with a Legal Disclaimer? Excellent. The main course today will include more descriptions, as requested by almost everybody who has ever reviewed anything that I have written. Cyber wraith 9 will be by shortly to serve up the proofreading.  
  
Enjoy your meal!  
  
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Appetizer: Legal Disclaimer  
  
I did not create Cowboy Bebop. I also did not create the following characters: Spike, Mao, Shin, Lin, Annie, or Julia. All other characters mentioned in this chapter are of my creation. This story is also of my creation, so don't take it.  
  
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Main Course:  
  
"The History of Julia"  
  
Story by TheSilverFox06  
  
Proofread by Cyber wraith 9 (all grammatical and spelling errors are his fault)  
  
Chapter 2: "Something Special"  
  
"I'm going to get in trouble for this. Come on." Spike quickly holstered his gun, grabbed Julia's hand, and rushed out of the apartment with Lin close behind. The hard thumping of three pairs of feet on the old hardwood floors could be heard across the entire complex.  
  
"Where are you taking me?!" Julia shouted between breaths as the group approached the front door of the apartment building.  
  
"Somewhere safe," replied Spike. He lowered his shoulder into the front door, sending it flying open with a loud *thud* when it hit the doorstop. Just as Spike set foot on the sidewalk, he saw a familiar figure out of the corner of his right eye. Spike immediately pushed Julia back into the building, where she was caught by Lin. This effort left Spike off-balance, and he was not capable of dodging the left hook to his jaw, delivered by their good buddy Dane. Right away, Dane jumped on top of Spike and pinned his shoulders to the ground.  
  
After seeing these events, Lin drew his gun and aimed it right between the brute's eyes. "Get off of him, NOW!" Lin commanded.  
  
Spike turned his head to the side and looked at his young partner. "Put that away, Lin!"  
  
A low, growling sort of chuckle emanated from Dane's throat. "That's right, pretty boy. You can't kill me out in public like this."  
  
"No," said Spike, "but I can still kick the shit outta you." Spike thrust his knee into Dane's gut, which hadn't yet healed from the first encounter. Due to Spike's awkward position, he was able to deliver enough power to release Dane's grip on him, but not enough to drop him in one blow like before.  
  
The two warriors climbed to their feet and faced each other. Spike had his back to the street, while Dane had his back to the apartment building. Both men stood motionless in their respective fighting stances, staring into each other's eyes. Dane was tense, with his legs bent and his arms up, clenching fists at the end of each one. Spike, however, was sporting a very loose stance. His legs were just barely bent enough not to be locked, and his arms seemed to make a half-hearted attempt at bending - they were pretty much dangling in front of him.  
  
After a silence that seemed to last for an eternity, Dane finally opened his maw. "I woulda had you figured for a fighter, the way you hit me before. But I see now by that crappy stance that you're no more than a common impostor. This should be easy."  
  
To these words, Spike did nothing more than grin. Disappointed with not receiving a verbal response, Dane rushed Spike. Just as Dane's right fist was about to land on Spike's chiseled face, Spike dodged to the side. Dane brushed up against Spike's side, and spun around in an odd shift of momentum.  
  
"Olé!" Spike shouted playfully.  
  
"I've had enough of this child's play!" retorted Dane. "I'm going to end this once and for -" Dane's witless banter was cut short by a lighting quick side kick to the center of his chest. He went flying backwards into the street, where he was immediately blindsided by a garbage truck.  
  
Spike was instantly joined by his two companions, and they hurried to the parked car on the opposite side of the road.  
  
Lin was the first to talk. "How did you do that, Spike?"  
  
"Do what?"  
  
"Beat him like that. You didn't even look like you were ready to fight, the way you were standing. Plus, he was much stronger than you."  
  
"He was too strong," Spike quickly replied. "He used so much strength that he was unable to shift his direction once he started moving. I, however, was calm and smooth. I was ready and able to move in any direction I wanted at the drop of a hat. When he attacked me, I effortlessly moved out of the way, and used his own momentum against him in one fluid motion."  
  
Spike's attention instantly turned toward Julia, who was sitting in the back seat. "You don't have to come with me if you don't want to. I will not chase after you if you decide to leave. However, I can promise that I will try to get you off this planet if you stay."  
  
Julia answered right away. "I'll stay."  
  
Spike sported a small smile. "I thought I was a bad man, just like all the others."  
  
"At first I thought you were, but I now sense something different in you. Something... special."  
  
To this, Spike had no reply. He simply turned his head forward and began to drive away from the sirens.  
  
* * *  
  
After about ten minutes of driving through the crowded city roads, Spike and company arrived at another apartment building.  
  
"Where are we now?" Julia asked.  
  
"My place," Spike answered, as he parked the car and turned the engine off. "You can stay here tonight, and I'll get you a ticket to Ganymede first thing tomorrow."  
  
Lin looked at Spike and rose an eyebrow.  
  
"Don't worry! I'm not that kind of guy! Geez..."  
  
The three people piled out of the car and headed into the building. It was a fairly decent complex, with tile floors and sturdy masonry. The neighborhood didn't look too bad either - there were even some trees here and there in the sidewalk. Spike's apartment was close to the front entrance on the first floor, so the group didn't have to go very far.  
  
Spike took a few minutes to help Julia settle in, then began to head out. "Make yourself at home. Feel free to take some food if you're hungry, but don't leave the room. I'll be back in a few hours."  
  
"Spike!" Julia said as Spike began to turn away. "I can't possibly thank you enough."  
  
Spike turned around and smiled. "Hey, it's no problem. Just because I'm part of the Syndicate doesn't mean I don't have a heart. I'll see you soon."  
  
Spike and Lin exited the room, locking the door behind them.  
  
Julia plopped herself on the couch in the center of the living room, and looked around. In addition to the main room that she was in, Julia saw a kitchen, a bathroom, and a bedroom. "Well, as long as I'm stuck here for the night, I might as well find out more about who I'm staying with."  
  
Julia arose from the couch and began to snoop around. In front of the couch, she saw a coffee table with various magazines strewn about, and a television mounted on the far wall. The kitchen had all the regular stuff: a fridge, a stove, an oven, some cabinets, and a small table with two chairs. The bedroom is what she was most interested in inspecting.  
  
When Julia first entered Spike's bedroom, she was expecting to find some pictures or other items that would reveal something surprising about him. Quite to the contrary, however, she found nothing of the sort. No pictures, no keepsakes, no mysterious items. Spike's apartment seemed to have no personal items of any sort, which turned out to be even more surprising that if he did. It was as if Spike's life didn't exist up until recently.  
  
Disgusted with her failure to discover anything about her savior, Julia headed back into the common room. She sat down on the couch, flipped on the television, and waited for Spike to return.  
  
* * *  
  
As Spike was approaching Red Dragon headquarters, he was thinking of his plan for the rest of the day. Since he had accomplished his mission, Spike assumed that Mao would let him relax for the rest of the day, or at least just tell him to train Lin some more. He was wrong.  
  
After parking the car, Spike and Lin began to walk the hallways of the building, heading for Mao's office to inform him of the successful hit. They entered the small room with Mao's secretary, and walked toward the door with the "Mao Yenrai" sign on it. Spike passed by the secretary who's credentials had nothing to do with secretary work, and waved at her. "Yo."  
  
The secretary's expression perked up to a cheerful smile. "Oh, hi Spike! Mr. Yenrai has been waiting for you to return. He's in there with Carson right now."  
  
Spike had a puzzled look on his face, wondering why Carson was in there as well.  
  
"I think Mr. Yenrai has a job for you two."  
  
Spike slumped over. "Another one already? Well that's just great. I never get a break."  
  
Spike reluctantly walked over to Mao's door and went in. He saw Mao sitting at his desk on the other side of the large room, with a wall of window panes that had the best view of the city behind him. Standing to the side of Mao's desk was Carson as Shin. Carson was a caucasian man of about average height, with long blonde hair tied back into a pony-tail that reached the middle of his back, a long, pointed chin, deep green, narrow eyes, and a smile that would charm any girl in the solar system.  
  
Spike and Lin walked over to one of the two couches in front of Mao's desk, and took a seat. Carson and Shin sat on the other couch. Mao addressed Spike first.  
  
"How did the hit go, Spike?"  
  
"Mission accomplished."  
  
"Good to hear it." Mao smiled. "I know how much you'd like to rest, but something recently came up that I want you and Carson to take care of."  
  
"What about us?" Shin spoke out of turn.  
  
"You and your brother will be run through some training exercises," Mao replied. "This operation is too dangerous for trainees." The door to Mao's office opened. "In fact, there's Mr. Hunt to take you to them now."  
  
Shin and Lin looked at each other, then slowly got up to be escorted to their training.  
  
"So, what's this all about?" Carson asked, as he brought his hand up to his chin.  
  
Mao scooted his swivel chair closer to his desk and cleared his throat. "We've recently been in contact with a member of the White Tiger Clan."  
  
Spike leaned forward and broke in. "White Tiger Clan?! Why should we trust anybody from that group of slime?"  
  
Mao retaliated in a sharp tone. "Let me finish, Spike!"  
  
Spike slowly sat back in his seat and didn't say anything more.  
  
"Now, as I was saying, this individual has informed us that he has reason to believe his own clan will put out a hit for him very soon. He has agreed to supply us with information about the White Tiger Clan in exchange for his safety within the Red Dragon Clan."  
  
Carson was the first to respond. "So, he wants to defect?"  
  
After thinking for a few seconds, Mao replied, "In a sense, yes."  
  
"That still doesn't answer my question," Spike calmly remarked. "Why should we believe what he's telling us?"  
  
A faint smile appeared on Mao's face as he began to answer. "Let's just say that some of our... informants have confirmed his story. Now, here's the plan. The hit on our... defector, who we will now refer to as 'Hawk', will take place in about an hour and a half. You two have forty-five minutes to prepare anything you need here. After your preparations, you will head to my wife's store, where you will receive Hawk's location as well as any other special equipment you may need."  
  
The eyes of both Spike and Carson got wide, and they said in unison, "Your wife?"  
  
"Yes, haven't I introduced you two to my wife? Oh well, it doesn't matter." Mao reached for a picture frame on his desk and turned it around for Spike and Carson to see. On the picture was a happy couple, both smiling wide at the camera. Mao was on the left, and a slightly overweight, yet still attractive, woman with medium brown hair was on the right. Engraved in the bottom of the frame was "Mao and Anastasia forever".  
  
"Anastasia, eh?" Spike said.  
  
"That's her name, but don't call her that," responded Mao. "She goes by Annie. After receiving your information at her store, you will go to the location she gives to you. There, you will dispatch of any White Tiger hit men trying to take down Hawk, and call this number for directions on where to take him." Mao reached across the desk and placed two pieces of paper with identical phone numbers in front of Spike and Carson.  
  
"How will we know which one is Hawk?" Carson asked.  
  
"That information will be provided to you at Annie's store as well. She has been the middle-woman in our negotiations, so she knows more about his exact situation than I do." Mao stood up and walked around to the front of his desk. He stood up straight with his hands behind his back and stared down at Spike and Carson. "Good luck, gentlemen."  
  
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Dessert:  
  
I bet you Bebop fans already know who Hawk is, don't you? Always trying to spoil the surprise, you are! Well, we'll just have to see if you're right, now won't we? Muah hahahaha.  
  
Also, many of you may have noticed that my proofreader's username is listed as one word in chapter one and is segmented here. Actually, I bet none of you are wondering that, but I'll show you anyway. To see why his name is segmented in this chapter, take a look at the editor Cyberwraith9 lists in chapter 3 of his story entitled "The Hinata Defense Force". 


End file.
